Odds tumble on ex-Watford manager

The same names are still at the top of the early market when it comes to who Birmingham City might turn to to fill their managerial vacancy.

Oldham, Port Vale and Gillingham are looking for new bosses, but the Blues job naturally remains the most attractive proposition on the market at the moment.

Aitor Karanka is there, along with names like Steve Cotterill, Steve McClaren and Nigel Adkins.

It’s been ten days since Harry Redknapp left Blues, and Lee Carsley looks set to remain at the helm in a caretaking capacity for the foreseeable future.

Yet one name who has appeared out of nowhere this week is former Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores.

Flores, 52, is the current manager of Espanyol in La Liga, where he has been since last summer.

He spent just the one season in charge of the Hornets the year before, leading them to a 13th placed finish and an FA Cup semi-final before departing Vicarage Road.

Experience isn’t something Flores is in short supply of; he’s overseen almost 500 matches in his managerial career and has a win ratio in that time just shy of 45%.

The Spaniard has coached in the UAE, Portugal and Spain as well as the Premier League.

Sky Bet are offering odds of 12/1 for Flores to replace Redknapp.

These singing Birmingham City fans have come up with a great chant for Lee Carsley

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Lee Carsley takes charge of Birmingham City at St Andrew's for the first time on Wednesday.

The caretaker boss has called for St Andrew's to become the hostile cauldron he has experienced both as a Birmingham and visiting player.

But, with him being local and coming from a Birmingham City supporting family there's every chance the Blues faithful will give the 43-year-old a warm reception.

Blues and Aston Villa tracking Gordon Strachan's grandson

Birmingham City and Aston Villa are understood to be keeping tabs on Peterborough youngster Luke Strachan, according to reports.

Website Football Insider claims scouts of the Birmingham rivals are watching to see how the midfielder, grandson of Scotland manager Gordon, develops after excellent performances in the Posh youth ranks.

An Inside Football source has told writer Pete O’Rourke that Peterborough would be loathe to lose one of their prized prospects, but are bracing themselves for interest in Strachan.

They claim: “Villa are primed to make a move to sign the midfielder and fend off bitter rivals Birmingham.”

Strachan, grandson of Scotland boss Gordon and son of former Peterborough first-team coach, Gavin, has caught the eye for Peterborough’s Under 18s this season.

Spoof

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Harry Redknapp's time at Birmingham City was lovingly chronicled by Darren Farley.

The impressionist produced skits which saw Redknapp order a rather unconventional meal at a McDonalds drive-through, pine for familiar names on deadline day, and discuss the cross-city John Terry tussle earlier this summer.

Slipping effortlessly into his guise, Farley covered most of the big events during the 70-year-old's tenure at St Andrew's - and Redknapp's dismissal was no different.

He was sacked after Blues were beaten convincingly at home by Preston North End last Saturday.

Redknapp drove back to his Sandbanks home after the defeat, but in the spoof he is mulling over the news in a pub.

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Former Birmingham City striker lifts lid on gambling addiction in brutally honest interview

Former Birmingham City striker Kyle Lafferty has lifted the lid on his gambling addiction.

In a brutally honest interview with the BBC, the Northern Ireland international opened up on his habit that forced him to seek help following an FA charge.

Lafferty, who played six games for Blues during a loan spell in 2016, paid tribute to Hearts who have helped him with his problems after signing for the Scottish Premiership side in the summer.

The 30-year-old, who represented his county at Euro 2016, was found guilty by the FA and fined £23,000.

He told the BBC: "The punishment could have been a lot worse. I was so honest they probably went easy on me.

"It was leading up to the Euros and I had all sorts going through my head, thinking I was going to be banned, but I'd have had no-one to blame but myself had that happened. I put my career on the line.

"The FA helped me. I spoke to the Sporting Chance clinic and I was seeing a guy in London every one or two weeks for an hour-long meeting about my gambling.

"That was the cowardly way of doing it. You can speak to one guy and fill him full of crap. You can just show face and give the impression that you're looking for help and then half-an-hour later you're probably in a bookies on the way home.

'All guns blazing'

Lee Carsley says Birmingham City must start winning their home games and wants his men to ‘run over the top’ of Sheffield Wednesday tomorrow night.

The Blues caretaker was pleased with what he saw at Derby as the team ended a string of six successive losses.

And they prepare to face a wounded Wednesday following the Owls’ 4-2 derby demolition at the hands of Sheffield United.

He expects Carlos Carvalhal’s men to bounce back - but he also wants his players to be inspired by playing in front of their own supporters.

“The way they have performed the last two seasons, they way they have just missed out on promotion - they have obviously got the ability and resilience within the team to put to bed a bad result and move on,” Carsley said.

“I expect them to be all guns blazing on Wednesday and it’s important we not only match them but try and run over the top of them.